Last June, we were delighted to welcome Ron Lacer as our guest selector for Cheap & Nasty #8. His deep knowledge of obscure late-'70s and early-'80s punk, post-punk and new wave made him the perfect guide through some truly forgotten gems, so inviting him back was an easy decision.
For his second appearance, Ron takes a different approach. Rather than following the familiar English-language route, he has assembled a collection of bands performing mostly in their native languages. The result is a fascinating journey through Austria, Mexico, Iceland, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Finland and Poland, proving that the spirit of punk spoke many more languages than English.
Over to you, Ron...
Last June, Tony Rivers invited me to put together Cheap & Nasty #8. I had so much fun doing it that I decided to start a YouTube channel to publish more playlists. Since then, I've created over two dozen playlists featuring obscure punk, post-punk and new wave bands from around the world.
When Tony invited me back for Cheap & Nasty #10, I decided to take a different approach. Most of the songs on #8 were sung in English, so this time I wanted to focus on bands performing in their native languages... though I cheated a little with one band. I pulled together some of the best tracks from my YouTube playlists, and here they are! If you'd like to discover more great obscure punk, post-punk and new wave music, check out my YouTube channel, Oil Spills Across the Internet: (https://www.youtube.com/@OilSpillsAcrosstheIntern-ep9uk/playlists)
Starting off with three bands from Austria. The Sprays never got their own record out. This track is one of their three songs on the excellent Die Tödliche Dosis compilation LP. Ömö released just one single. This crazed tune is the A-side, and I've never managed to hear the B-side. Willi Warma put out a couple of singles, but this was an unreleased track that finally appeared on CD many years later.
From Mexico comes Syntoma. Although they were mostly a synth-pop band, this song from their only album turns the energy up several notches.
Next stop is Iceland. Grýlurnar were an all-female band who released several records, and this track comes from their second LP. Purrkur Pillnikk were one of the biggest names on the Icelandic scene, recording several albums and singles. Last year a massive box set collecting their work was released. I'd love to get my hands on a copy someday.
Representing Italy is Edoardo Bennato, a hugely successful artist in his home country. Discogs lists no fewer than 179 releases under his name! Until recently I'd never heard of him, but I stumbled across this track from his sixth LP and immediately loved it. In fact, I liked the cover so much that Tony used it for this session's artwork.
Germany contributes three excellent bands. Hans-A-Plast, fronted by Annette Benjamin, released three albums and a single, with this track coming from their debut LP. Bernward Büker Bande recorded two albums and four singles; this song is taken from their first album. Carambolage, an all-female trio, released two LPs, and this track also comes from their debut.
Belgium is represented by Contingent, who only released one single at the time. In recent years several collections have appeared, combining old recordings with newer material.
Spain brings together five very different bands. Madrid's Los Bólidos released just one single. Isidoro y Su Colección De Puertas Plegables only appeared on the legendary Sintonía Independiente compilation LP. Pistones became one of Spain's best-known pop bands, but here you'll hear the B-side of their debut single. Nueva Religión also appeared only on Sintonía Independiente. Finally there's La Uvi, who released one absolutely killer single. Amazingly, original copies are still fairly affordable, despite the fact that both tracks have been bootlegged several times. This has always been my favourite song by them.
France is represented by two bands. Dum-Dum Bullet released this single before recording an LP a few years later. C.O.M.A. (Clinik Organik Muzak Anatomik) left behind just one album.
The session closes with five bands from Finland and one from Poland. Mistakes recorded several releases, and this track comes from one of their last singles. Esa Toivonen ja Rantapallo, on the other hand, released only one 7-inch. Maukka Perusjätkä & Sota Apatiaa Vastaan recorded a single LP and nothing more. Listen out for the chainsaw on this song! Vaavi released a couple of albums and several singles; this track comes from their debut LP. Kauko Röyhkä & Narttu went on to record an impressive catalogue, and this is the A-side of their debut single. Finally, Poland's Brak never managed to release anything during the Communist era, although several posthumous collections eventually appeared in the 21st century.
01. Sprays - Lieber Chaos (Austria, 81)
02. Ömö - Pumperl Geht (Austria, 82)
03. Willi Warma - Niemand Hilft Mir (Austria, 82)
04. Syntoma - Homo Estéreo (Mexico, 83)
05. Grýlurnar - Betri Er Limur En Limlestir (Iceland, 83)
06. Purkurr Pillnikk - Mig Langar (Iceland, 82)
07. Edoardo Bennato - Uffa'! Uffa'! (Italy, 80)
08. Hans-A-Plast - Für 'ne Frau (Germany, 79)
09. Bernward Büker Bande - Körperkontakt (Germany, 81)
10. Carambolage - Was Hat Das Für Einen Sinn (Germany, 80)
11. Contingent - La Fille De Ma Concierge (Belgium, 80)
12. Los Bólidos - No Te Creas (Spain, 83)
13. Isidoro y Su Colección De Puertas Plegables - Latas (Spain, 83)
14. Pistones - Vuelve Pronto (Spain, 82)
15. Nueva Religión - Ten Compasión De Mi (Spain, 83)
16. La Uvi - Muérete(Spain, 82)
17. Dum-Dum Bullet - Emmene Moi En Enfer (France, 83)
18. C.O.M.A. - Femme Robot (France, 79)
19. Mistakes - Hei hei!? (Finland, 81)
20. Esa Toivonen ja Rantapallo - Mandariinikauppias (Finland, 79)
21. Maukka Perusjätkä & Sota Apatiaa Vastaan - Säpinää (Finland, 79)
22. Vaavi - Nojatuoli (Finland, 80)
23. Kauko Röyhkä & Narttu - Uusia Tansseja (Finland, 81)
24. Brak - Na Bliskim Wschodzie (Poland, 83)
